Techno-economic assessment of novel solar-driven dual-mode trigeneration device featuring daytime radiative condenser

Solar-driven combined power, cooling and heating systems are emerging technologies. However, the heat island effect because of immense heat rejection in the local ambient and flexible operation (power-heating in winter and power-cooling in summer) are challenging issues. Hence, a solar-driven dual-mode (power-heating or power-cooling) trigeneration device featuring a daytime radiative condenser and equipped with a parabolic trough collector alongside thermal energy storage is analyzed based on energy, exergy, economic and carbon footprint viewpoints. The system performance is optimized by employing the genetic algorithm. The influence of several operating parameters and seasonal climatic conditions is explored for three different refrigerants. The highest performance index and exergy efficiency values are obtained for ammonia. Specific total cost is also the lowest for ammonia, but the total area requirement is the lowest for isobutene. Performance is better with lower radiative condenser temperatures but with higher vapor generator and evaporator temperatures. Performance is maximum during the winter (November to February) for all considered locations, while minimum in May for Kolkata and Jaisalmer and in June for Varanasi. The major advantage of the proposed system is nearly 7.8 kW heat emission reduction to the local ambient per unit output, which can mitigate the heat island effect.